Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive regarding the future of the district’s railway station ticket offices operated by Southern Rail and Southeastern Rail.  As a result of the impact of COVID-19 and discussions between the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Rail Delivery Group, changes were proposed to the provision and opening hours of national rail ticket offices.  The process for making major changes was set out in the DfT Ticketing and Settlement Agreement Schedule 17, as identified at the following link: Ticketing & Settlement Agreement (TSA) | Rail Delivery Group.  Pages 34 and 38 were significant to Rother.

Ticket offices provided a vital service regarding ticket enquiries, advice regarding complicated journeys involving connections, and particularly for those customers who were not familiar with or able to use technology i.e. online services and ticket machines etc.

To date, it was understood that no decisions had been made, however several Members had raised concern and it was considered prudent that the Council prepared a response.  It was proposed that the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Bexhill Rail Action Group and local MP write to the local train operating companies to request that the Council be kept informed of any proposed changes to ticketing and staffing arrangements at railways stations within the district.

Cabinet was supportive of the recommendation that the Chief Executive write to the train operating companies and agreed that any planned changes should be referred to and discussed at a future meeting of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and that representatives from the rail operators be invited to participate.  Members also raised concerns that the service between Eastbourne and Ashford, that ran through the Rother District, was made up of only two carriages and passengers were therefore being left behind.  Cabinet recommended and agreed that the train operating companies be requested to expand the number of carriages.

RESOLVED: That:

1)   the Chief Executive be requested to write to the train operating companies asking that the Council is kept informed of any proposed changes to ticketing and staffing arrangements within the stations within the district;

2)   should information be received that changes are planned, the matter be referred to the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee with a recommendation that representatives from the rail operators be invited to attend a Scrutiny Meeting at the earliest possible opportunity to discuss future plans for staffing at railways stations across Rother; and

3)   the train operating companies be requested to expand the number of carriages on the service between Eastbourne and Ashford, that runs through the Rother District.